Anne Hathaway Named Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women

by Jennifer Drysdale
6:35 PM PDT, June 15, 2016

Photo: Getty Images

Anne Hathaway will be joining Nicole Kidman and Emma Watson as the latest celebrity to team up with the UN Women, the United Nations agency promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women, as the agency announced via press release on Wednesday.

According to UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngucka, the 33-year-old actress will be taking on the cause of gender equality, with a focus on increasing parental leave for new parents.

"The appointment of Anne is timely because this year UN Women is driving hard to foster more positive mindsets and practical arrangements around workplaces that build and support equality for women," Mlambo-Ngcuka said in a statement.

The Oscar-winning actress has been a long-standing supporter of women's rights, previously serving as an advocate for the Nike Foundation, supporting programs to empower adolescent girls in the developing world, and making trips to Ethiopia and Kenya to raise awareness on child marriage. In 2013, Hathaway lent her voice to the CNN documentary, Girl Rising, which focused on the power of female education.

As for her involvement with the UN, Hathaway said she was "honored and inspired by this opportunity to aid in advancing gender equality."

"Significant progress has already been made but it is time that we collectively intensify our efforts and ensure that true equality is finally realized," the Intern star stated in Wednesday's press release.

As a new mom herself, Hathaway will surely bring valuable insight as she aims to support new parents in the workplace. In fact, the star recently opened up to ET about how her life has changed since welcoming her son, Jonathan Rosebanks Schulman, in March.